This is not your “normal” Mother’s Day post. It's probably closer to an "in your face" challenge rather than a sweet encouraging post about how to love on your mom. PLEASE don’t get me wrong. Mom’s are AWESOME! I am one after all.
But this NOT a "List of 20 ways to make Mother’s Day special" kind of post. If you are looking for a great list be sure to read to the end for the "non normal" Mother's Day list!
Graduation in two weeks
My third child graduates in 2.5 weeks. I will only be homeschooling one kid next year.
That just blows my mind.
As we prepared for graduation, my daughter went through all the photo albums that I’ve made over the years and picked her favorite pictures for a slide show. Precious, fun memories are captured in those pictures. However, she innocently said something that struck me HARD as she made sure to include pictures of her with friends, siblings, grandparents etc.
She said, “Mom, I want this picture because you are in it.”
It’s not the greatest photo. It’s one I would pass right over but she saw it as special because it was of the two of us. She actually had a hard time finding pictures of me with her because for years I’ve had a habit of taking the pictures and not being IN the pictures.
Pictures are the history of the future
I joke around about needing to take a selfie when we go on a trip or have an event to prove that I was there. Its not a joke. When you take all the pictures, its hard to “be” there in the memories.
A year ago my feelings on being in front of the camera changed. My first granddaughter was born and I could have cared less about avoiding the camera.
I want her to know I was there when she was little bitty, as she learned to crawl, and all the stages after that. It has been a good motivation to getin more pictures. And besides who doesn't look good holding a sweet little baby?
Why do mom’s avoid the camera?
I think I have this figured out. We are perfectionists. We plant to get in the photos when we weigh less, when our hair is grown out a bit, when the light is just right, when a better photographer has the camera. Unfortunately we are missing making memories for our families due to our perfectionism.
Plus that’s just not what real life is all about. It’s messy, full of shadows and wrinkles.
Plus our families don't WANT perfect moms. They love us the way that we are and don't want to wait for us to BECOME a perfect image on paper.
Can you imagine that if for some reason tomorrow you are gone(accident's happen you know) and there are no more photos ever taken of you? When your family looks back at photos, will they have plenty to remember you by? I wish that I had gotten in front of the camera more but I can’t go back and fix that.
Plan for change and progress
This is my year of progress in many areas. It's a challenge to CHOOSE to make memories.
- I plan to change my attitude about being in photos.
- I plan to hand the camera off or better yet just encourage my family to use their phones to take pictures other than selfies.
- I’m going to let go of the self consciousness of being captured as my messy, overweight, wrinkly self. Oh on the inside, I probably will still cringe and wonder if the photo will show my “best” side but I’m going to get in the picture anyway.
If you still need to work out a way to celebrate Mother's Day with the "mom" in your life, I do have a wonderful list of simple ideas for making Mother's Day special. This list is only available through the Adventure Challenge that goes out each week to my newsletter list on Saturdays.
It’s not your “normal” Mother's Day list. Seriously, I must be on a roll this week. First a cranky in your fact post now a different kind of Mother's Day idea list. That's how we roll.
The list is about MORE than giving flowers, take mom out to eat, make coupons for pampering etc. It's about making memories, spending time and doing things that are special for you and the "mom" in your life.
And that's what the Adventure Challenge is all about! I want help you choose to do things intentionally so that every day you create the life that you don't want to miss. Be sure to sign up for the Adventure Challenge using the form below and start finding the adventures in your day to day life!
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